


If our dawn is hotter and the day is brighter, the world is ours

by minghyew



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Clubbing, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, at least I hope there's humor, i've already forgotten how to tag stuff, there's also Wonwoo and Joshua but they're just in the background, there's drinking and being drunk involved, they're all same or similar age but it doesn't really matter tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 20:10:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15736512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minghyew/pseuds/minghyew
Summary: Vernon wishes he didn't feel so cold.





	If our dawn is hotter and the day is brighter, the world is ours

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to mingsol network for organising the fest!  
> Don't get discouraged, I'm not too good at beginnings.

Vernon has gotten used to the cold.  
  
He’s been used to it for quite a long time now; it’s not like it’s completely insufferable, and it’s not like there’s anything he can do about it. That’s just how life’s been. It’s even useful in summer, the heats don’t get to him that much and he can function normally in a big city, where the amount of concrete heated up by the sun makes you slowly boil in the afternoons.  
  
Winters have always been more difficult, but there were woolen sweaters and warm jackets. It’s never been something he wouldn’t be able to bear. Besides, constant thinking about your soulmate would make you dependent on them and the entire idea, right? And he wants to live his life _his way_ , he wants to feel free in what he does and do what he can to fulfill all his dreams and reach his goals.  
  
The truth is that life could’ve been easier without the cold, but it’s been okay. At least that’s what he’s thinking wrapped up in a blanket on his bed when he’s trying to learn by heart all the things he needs to know for the upcoming exam, stress _almost_ making him sweat.  


  


 

On a Friday night some time in April they go out, as they usually do. The weather is still quite cold, but everyone talks about spring being in the air. Vernon doesn’t really know how to feel about it since yes, it is warmer than in winter, but no, he still isn’t able to go out without a hoodie _and_ a warm jacket on.  
  
There’s a place in the city Mingyu wants to check out with Vernon, Soonyoung and Seokmin, as some guys from his classes recommended it. No one had anything against it, so, by the time the sun has set, they find themselves getting off the bus and then walking for a few minutes until they reach their destination - a wide brick building with small windows, neons over the entrance spelling _Highlight_ , and everything looking like it could perfectly fit a hipster minimalist instagram feed, Vernon notices.  
  
The inside of the club is exactly like this too, but at the same time it still can’t be mistaken for anything else. The walls are made of bricks in there as well, and there are a few booths on the left from the door. They go for one of them before deciding on what to drink and going to the bar. Each of them chooses beer though, since they’re not yet familiar enough with the place to be braver.  
  
They have fun, as it’s been guaranteed by Mingyu’s friends, each of them considerably drunk.  
  
So drunk that it’s not a surprise when Mingyu trips over and spills his drink over himself and Vernon. “Sorry!” he yells after glancing at Vernon’s wet jacket.  
  
“It’s fine, dude!” Vernon yells back, already taking it off as he starts to shiver, but Mingyu’s suddenly right beside him and trying to wipe beer stains with his own sleeve, continuously apologizing. Vernon has to reach out for Mingyu’s hand and physically stop him. “It’s okay, you’ll wash it for me tomorrow,” he adds with a hopefully natural smirk when he notices how the other’s eyes are still focused on the places where the fabric is wet, and how the corners of his mouth have dropped.  
  
Mingyu finally nods, and suddenly there’s Seokmin, too, throwing his arms over both Vernon’s and Mingyu’s shoulders and dragging them in the direction of the dancefloor while singing the song that’s being played in a high-pitched voice, immediately making both of them smile.  
  
At some point Vernon realises how warm he feels, and it strikes him enough to stop jumping around to the beat. He looks around, mouth slightly agape, trying to find anything that could become a clue leading him to answers. All he sees though is a concerned look on Soonyoung’s face. “Are you alright?”  
  
“It’s so hot here!” Vernon shouts, reaching his arms out. He didn’t even realise when he’s rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie.  
  
“It’s a club, dude!” Soonyoung answers with a small smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.  
  
He snaps out of it when he gets yet another concerned look, this time from Mingyu who appears next to him again. He just shakes his head as an answer to all the questions, also the ones which haven’t been asked out loud, and decides not to let unsettling thoughts wake up in his mind and prevent him from having fun. With his friends. Which is why he’s there. To have fun, not to think.  
  
Clubs have always been hot. _Highlight_ seems to be hotter than any of the others they’ve been to but then again this is the first time they’re here so he can’t know how hot it normally gets, right?  
  
They end up having great time for the better part of the night, and Soonyoung doesn’t throw up like he did the last time, so all in all, everything’s really good.  


  


 

“Guys, I think I’ve found my soulmate,” Mingyu says suddenly, cutting through the silence. They’re having a night in, which originally was going to be a study night, but turned out to be everything-but-study night. Well, they’re basically just lying around on the floor, and having the standard break they take every few episodes of a tv show.  
  
They laugh quietly at first but something about the look in Mingyu’s eyes stops them.  
  
“What does it feel like?” Vernon hears himself ask before he can even think about shutting his mouth.  
  
Mingyu shrugs. “It’s weird, I kind of expected everything to go, like, extremely hot and thought you'd just _know_ this is the person but I guess it’s much more subtle,” he says quietly. “I feel this warmth whenever our eyes meet, maybe I’m just making things up though because he’s really hot.”  
  
“Umm, my mom told me it may vary,” Soonyoung says. “Like, some people may feel bigger changes in temperature, some smaller,” he pauses, “and apparently some can feel it from even a hundred meters away, while others need to be, like, really close, there’s really no rule to it. Theoretically, it’s not impossible for you two to be soulmates.”  
  
Vernon stays quiet. It’s not like he’s imagined it. He’s always thought‒  
  
“I’ve always thought I’d be sure when it happens,” Mingyu whines quietly, voicing exactly what’s on Vernon’s mind at the moment. He then sighs and rolls over on his back.  
  
“Talk to him” Vernon says softly, the atmosphere making him nearly whisper. He thinks that would be something he’d want to hear in this situation. “Maybe he’s wondering as well, it’s better to make sure you’re on the same page, no?” He then offers comfort by gently nudging Mingyu’s cheek with his foot, and hears him sigh.  
  
“Yeah,” he answers in a small voice and swats Vernon’s foot away.  


  


 

They go to _Highlight_ again, but this time it’s May, and they’ve decided to join Mingyu’s classmates.  
  
“Are they coming or not?” Soonyoung whines. They’ve been standing in front of the club for a good fifteen minutes and Vernon’s started to feel it as well. Since the spring’s in full swing, it’s not that cold anymore, but Vernon still pulls on the sleeves of his hoodie, hiding his hands in their warmth.  
  
“They’ll be here in a minute.”  
  
“You said that a minute ago, can’t we just go inside?”  
  
“Minghao asked me to wait for them though.”  
  
“It’s chill,” Vernon says finally, the way Soonyoung rolls his eyes indicating that the general level of annoyance is already far too high for a Friday night, and Seokmin isn’t with them to help lighten the mood either. “We’re here to relax, yeah?”  
  
Both of his friends nod without saying anything, the tension still in the air, but not as bad as it was just a few minutes earlier.  
  
Mingyu’s friends arrive shortly afterwards. There’s three of them. The one who turns out to be Wonwoo explains something to Mingyu but Vernon doesn’t hear any of it. They then proceed to introduce themselves to each other and do their best to remember the names, and since three isn’t that many anyway, they all manage to do that rather quickly.  
  
There’s a boy wearing something that looks very kimono-like, and with sunglasses sitting low on his nose, despite the fact that it’s already dark; he’s standing right next to Vernon. He realizes it’s the Minghao Mingyu talked so much about and Vernon can’t help but think if he’s the one Mingyu considers to be his soulmate.  
  
“Hey,” he hears, “I’m Minghao.”  
  
“Nice to meet you, man. I’m Vernon.”  
  
They don’t shake hands for some reason, and it makes the atmosphere grow strangely awkward in strangely short time. Moreover, Vernon can feel his cheeks heating up as he starts to blush. Which he never does. How much worse can this get.  
  
“Do you really come here? This place kind of looks like they’ll let you in only if you show them your instagram feed.” Vernon does his best to redirect the attention away from himself and, most importantly, his cheeks.  
  
He hears a quiet laugh in response. “Yeah, we’re here pretty much every other weekend. I like the atmosphere.”  
  
Vernon hums, not really knowing what to say. “But luckily they don’t check your instagram. Mine wouldn’t fit at all,” Minghao adds after a few seconds.  
  
“There’s no way I’m gonna believe you.”  
  
“So maybe they do check it but I look convincing enough,” he winks from above of the rims of his glasses and they both chuckle.  
  
A few minutes pass and they finally move to enter the building as one of them, most likely Soonyoung, notices that’s why they came there in first place.  
  
“Maybe you should stick to me to make sure they let you in,” Vernon hears Minghao say and laughs in response, again.  
  
They get in without any trouble which somehow makes their instagram theory less believable.  
  
The place is equally as crowded as Vernon remembers from the previous and only time he’s been there, nevertheless, they manage to find one booth big enough for six people and settle for it before going to get something to drink.  
  
Vernon’s sitting at the table when Minghao comes back, setting down his sunglasses and a glass containing liquid in a weird colour. “What’s that? A hipster drink?”  
  
Minghao smiles and averts his eyes for a fleeting moment before looking up at him again. “It’s a fancy drink, of course. I don’t really like the taste of beer.”  
  
“What is it called?”  
  
“I don’t remember, but I’m pretty sure they put wine in it. Wanna taste?”  
  
Sharing a drink with someone you’ve met in a very awkward mood literally half an hour earlier isn’t really something Vernon normally does, so he shakes his head with a small smile and moves so that there’s enough place for the other to sit. Then he looks around to see Mingyu totally absorbed in a conversation with Wonwoo, the guy he remembers as Joshua is talking with them, too. Only Soonyoung’s quiet where he’s sitting on Vernon’s other side, so he nudges him with his leg. “What’s up?”  
  
“Mingyu’s ignoring us. Also I’ve been begging Jihoon to come here for the past twenty minutes but he just won’t move his ass out of his flat.”  
  
“You know how he is. And,” Vernon nods in the general direction of Mingyu “I think I understand who he meant during our last study night.” Soonyoung just nods, and now he’s also pouting.  
  
“Besides,” Vernon throws his arm around Soonyoung’s shoulders “you still have me. Did you know they apparently have good drinks here?” He points at Minghao’s glass. The boy, ducking his head a bit at first, smiles again and lifts his glass slightly.  
  
“I’m not lying, it’s definitely better than your beer.” And Soonyoung, well, he’s Soonyoung, so he accepts Minghao’s offer to taste it, and then he _agrees_ with him which makes Vernon even more curious, and also Soonyoung has to pass the glass through him to return it, so Vernon does take a sip. And he does like it, which he voices to both of them.  
  
Minghao just shakes his head.  
  
He then accepts his glass from Vernon, and for a fraction of a second his and Vernon’s fingers touch. It’s so quick that what he’s felt couldn’t possibly be something to use as evidence, but then again he suddenly notices that he’s sweating in the hoodie and he just doesn’t know what to think. Or maybe he does, but he _can’t_. And so all he’s able to do is to just look at Minghao with mouth slightly agape. “Your hands are really warm,” he says, probably too quietly for a place like this.  
  
If there’s one thing Vernon hates the most about the not-having-a-soulmate state in which he lives, it’s his hands. His hands are constantly cold and sometimes it just drives him crazy, because just as keeping his entire body warm is not that problematic with an appropriate amount of clothes, he’s never been able to keep his hands warm for a longer period. Obviously, he’s got used to it in a way, but life must be nice when you feel that your blood actually circulates all the way to your fingers.  
  
Minghao stays quiet for a while, and he’s frowning, but he snaps out of it quickly enough. “I might have a fever, I think I’m coming down with something,” he explains calmly. When Vernon just nods, still too aware of the sweat on his back, Minghao speaks again. “Your hands seem really cold though.”  
  
“Yeah, they’re usually like this. You know‒,” he trails off and makes a few weird movements with his hands like that’s supposed to explain everything, and Minghao seems to get it, because he nods. And Vernon hopes, he really does hope that it’s going to be the end of his embarrassment, but Minghao doesn’t seem to want that.  
  
“Did you just have this thought that‒”  
  
“Yeah, that would’ve been crazy, right?” He answers, maybe a bit too loud and a bit too fast.  
  
“Completely.”  
  
They both laugh more or less awkwardly, and to Vernon’s great relief Minghao excuses himself to the toilet.  
  
Vernon turns his head slightly to the left, and now Soonyoung appears in his eyesight, and he just feels his weird stare, so he slowly turns more, until he’s facing him.  
  
“What was that?” Soonyoung asks, and there’s a clear tone of amusement in his voice.  
  
“I have literally no idea, dude. His hand was warm and I kind of panicked?”  
  
“Yeah, I can definitely see _that_.” Soonyoung reaches out to touch Vernon’s forehead, and to Vernon’s utter embarrassment, he’s giggling. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you nervous outside exam period,” he stops for a second, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you _sweat_.”  
  
“Because I _panicked_!” Vernon half yells, “why is it always so hot in here? That’s not really helpful.”  
  
“I don’t know? Hot is a really subjective term, you know.”  
  
“I _do_ know it _very well_.”  
  
“What do you know?” he suddenly hears Minghao’s voice and turns around in split second to find him sitting next to him again. He doesn’t know if it’s the weird lighting in the club, or Minghao’s blushing.  
  
“Are you okay? You actually look kind of feverish,” Vernon says instead.  
  
“Yeah, no. I think the world’s spinning a little.”  
  
“We should tell Mingyu,” Vernon now says to Soonyoung, who’s been listening, eyebrows drawn up and slightly frowning.  
  
They all decide to leave with Minghao immediately. Mingyu and Wonwoo are the ones who get the role of his physical support since they’re the tallest, each of them walking on the side of him, with his arms thrown on their shoulders. Vernon’s walking behind them, noticing that Minghao would most likely be good to walk on his own but there’s no reason to take a risk like that.  
  
“We gotta wait for our Uber,” Mingyu announces, as he glares at his phone. “Apparently at this hour twenty minutes is the minimum.”  
  
Minghao’s sitting on what seems to be the only bench in the nearest neighbourhood, fiddling with his phone and looking like he’s about to take pictures, something on the other side of the street clearly drawing his attention. Vernon can’t see anything there, but he does decide to check on Minghao as he sits beside him.  
  
“Don’t fall asleep here.”  
  
“It’s just a cold, I’m not dying,” Minghao answers, and he also smiles which has to be a good thing.  
  
And then it’s quiet.  
  
“What do you think about the soulmate thing?” Minghao suddenly speaks again, and it kind of makes Vernon feel a wave of warmth, starting at his toes and ending at the tip of his head.  
  
“Why are you asking?”  
  
He never gets an answer. Minghao just shrugs. And then it’s quiet again.  
  
“I don’t know,” Vernon hears himself say quietly. “My parents are the only soulmates I know, and they look like a normal couple to me.” Then he shrugs as well.  
  
“My parents are not soulmates. But they look like a normal couple as well, and I’m sure they love each other a lot.” Minghao’s voice is now quiet too.  
  
“I don’t think finding your soulmate is necessary, you know? Things can work out with whoever is there to be. If you like each other and want to, of course. Or you can just not be in any relationship, that’s fine too, right?” Vernon finishes and lifts his head for the first time to notice that Minghao’s looking right at him. There’s something strange about his eyes though and he can’t quite comprehend what’s happening.  
  
He’s always been pretty good with people, with understanding them. That’s what his friends have always told him. And Vernon likes it, he likes how his friends can feel better after having a chat with him, and he’s always down for it.  
  
Now he sees Minghao’s pursed lips forming a thin line and wonders if there’s something he’d like to talk about.  
  
“Right.” Minghao blinks and shrugs again and the weird look is gone. Instead, he smiles shyly before directing his attention back to his phone, and Vernon, to his utter terror, catches himself thinking about how warm and inviting it looks. “But it’d be nice to feel warm, right?”  
  
Vernon laughs quietly, partly to try to make sure Minghao doesn’t notice him blushing, and partly because he thought it was a joke, but when he sees that the other’s been completely serious about his question, he clears his throat and nods. “Definitely.”  
  
“But hey, you have fever now, right? You should be enjoying the warmth while it’s still there,” Vernon says, half jokingly. “Although,” he adds quickly after clearing his throat again, “I hope you get well as soon as possible.”  
  
“Yeah. Thanks.” This seems to be the end of their conversation and Vernon doesn’t know if he’s more afraid of the uncomfortable silence that’s about to fall again, or of the possibility that Minghao looks at him the way he doesn’t understand again. Which is why the arrival of their Uber is incredibly convenient.  
  
They spend the ride home in silence (although Vernon isn’t able to ignore how hot Minghao’s body is where he’s sitting next to him, and in his mind he curses at Mingyu for having him sit there), they then quietly say their goodbyes when the two groups split to reach their houses, and the night’s suddenly over.  


  


 

He’s sitting at the library, freezing his hands off and trying to study. He’s pretty sure Mingyu’s already asleep where he’s seated on the chair on Vernon’s right.  
  
Soonyoung, sitting in front of him, has been claiming to be taking a short break for about half an hour now, and Seokmin’s looking anywhere but his textbook. Vernon’s not better himself, since he’s the one watching his friends not doing anything.  
  
“I thought that coming here instead of studying at home would make things better,” Vernon hears Mingyu mumble from where his head is resting in the bend of his elbow.  
  
“I think we were all hoping for that,” Seokmin answers and they all smile in agreement.  
  
It’s quiet then, and each of them finds a new activity. It’s funny how none of them has suggested leaving yet, since they’re clearly not getting any work done.  
  
And Vernon just tries not to think too much. He tries not to think about how a few days after their night at _Highlight_ he went back there again just to make sure the place has a great heating system. He tries not to think about what he felt when the place was much colder than the last time, but assumes it’s because there were much fewer people inside. He tries not to think about any of this, yet there’s a single thought that suddenly speeds through his mind so fast, he’s barely able to catch it, and it becomes just an echo of a voice in the back of his head.  
  
He tries not to think about it either.  


  


 

There’s something incredibly stressful about going out with everyone again. Vernon liked Wonwoo’s group, as Mingyu now refers to it, and he thinks they’re cool guys to spend time and become friends with, yet there’s _something_. He’s almost sure when it comes to what that something might be.  
  
“Are you okay?” Mingyu asks suddenly. He’s sitting on their couch and looking at Vernon with one eyebrow raised. Vernon realises he’s been standing in one place with his mug of tea in hand without moving for a bit longer than appropriate.  
  
He shrugs and plops down next to Mingyu, setting the mug on the small table in front of them. “Yeah, was just thinking.”  
  
“Care to elaborate?”  
  
“Have you talked with that potential soulmate guy of yours yet?”  
  
A single sigh comes out of Mingyu’s mouth before he shakes his head.  
  
“Why? You’re literally the most open person I know. You’ve never had problems with talking to strangers. The hot ones, even.”  
“Yeah, but,” he sighs again, but this time it’s definitely deeper, “that’s fun. Finding out something like this or possibly embarrassing yourself doesn’t sound that exciting.”  
  
“You say that like you’ve never embarrassed yourself.”  
  
Suddenly there’s a pillow coming right at Vernon’s face and there’s nothing he can do when it smashes, softly, right in the middle of it. He wants to protest, but he takes a look at Mingyu and sees that now he’s pouting, and that makes Vernon sigh this time. “Look,“ he starts, as carefully as he can, “living in this uncertainty is even worse. This is probably going to be nerve-wracking, but if you want the situation to move in any direction at all, it’s better to do something. This waiting and thinking’s gonna kill you.”  
  
Mingyu doesn’t say anything at first, his expression still conflicted. He takes a deep breath and nods this time. Then his phone buzzes and he takes it out of his pocket to check the message.  
  
“They say they want to meet up at 10? Are we okay with that?”  
  
“Sure, man.”  


  


 

“How are you feeling?” is what Vernon asks Minghao after they all greet each other in _Highlight_. Again. This time his entire outfit is black, including a beret which makes the boy’s ears stick out slightly, and Vernon can’t help but pay extra attention to their pointy shape.  
  
Minghao smiles and confirms that he’s completely okay now, the fever gone really soon after their previous night.  
  
“That’s great” is what Vernon answers to that, and it gets silent for a while.  
  
The general atmosphere isn’t that awkward, he feels. There’s something in the air though. Something he’s not able to identify and name yet.  
  
Vernon catches himself glancing at Minghao more frequently than should be normal. But Minghao looks at him, too. And when it happens that their gazes meet, they sometimes smile and move on to the conversation that’s currently being held at their table. Sometimes though they look for a fraction of a second too long before looking away. It’s when the air gets heavier and Vernon’s almost sure that soon he won’t be even able to breathe properly.  
  
After some time, and some drinks, Vernon establishes he’s positively drunk. Not as drunk as some other of his friends, but drunk enough. He then suddenly realises that Minghao’s thigh is pressed against his own. He realises because he can tell how much warmer this one feels from the other one. He looks up from his glass and at Minghao, who’s probably been already looking at him for some time, and he has the weird look on his face, the one he had when they talked about soulmates the other time. It makes Vernon feel a bit uneasy. He doesn’t look away though, not entirely realising how close they both got to each other, and his drunk mind almost _says_ something stupid _out loud_ but he gets distracted by Soonyoung yelling about his favourite song and dragging everyone to the dancefloor because apparently “they’ve been sitting down for too long”.  
  
Vernon discovers that Minghao’s an incredibly good dancer. Soonyoung discovers that, too, to his immense delight, and they start yelling to each other some things about the dance studios they go to. They do that until Mingyu comes and yells at Soonyoung for blocking the dancefloor and not dancing, which then they all laugh about.  
  
Vernon laughs where he’s standing on the side, too, because things are funny when you’re drunk. And he laughs when both Soonyoung, Mingyu and Minghao glance at him and start laughing with him. And he laughs when Minghao drags him to where the rest of them were standing. He stops laughing only when Minghao asks him to dance with them, too.  
  
He’s drunk though, so he just shrugs and starts bouncing a little in one place, and now it’s suddenly Soonyoung and Minghao who laugh _at him_. He doesn’t care, he likes the song and is enjoying his time, and it’s not like everyone’s a member of a dance group.  
  
Eventually they stop, since the dancefloor gets really cramped and they can’t do their dance-masters-moves anymore. They all get squeezed together in one place and Vernon’s still a bit too drunk to care about anything but how warm it is, and he takes off his hoodie. He stops jumping, holding it in his hand, trying to think through if he’ll be able to find his friends again after he’s dropped it off in their booth.  
  
Minghao seems to understand the confused look on Vernon’s face because he takes the hoodie from him. He feels relieved but doesn’t get how this can help him at all.  
  
He understands though once Minghao finds the sleeves of the hoodie and moves closer, much much closer, holding them both in one hand. He then bends forward and does something with it behind Vernon’s back, and Vernon feels like he can’t breathe. He can only think about the proximity and he tries to focus on Minghao’s breathing rhythm to adjust his own to it. Minghao slowly moves back, tugging lightly on the sleeves of the hoodie Vernon has already forgotten about, and ties them on Vernon’s belly at the height of his hips. Vernon’s almost sure he’s been dragging it out, making it last much longer than it was necessary, but maybe the world’s just slowing down and the sounds are getting weirdly suppressed because of the alcohol. Or because of the alcohol slowly leaving his body, since he hasn’t had a drink in quite a while.  
  
“You don’t have to hold it now, see?” He says after he’s done, too quietly for a place like this, and there’s a warm smile tugging on his lips, and Vernon can’t help but smile back, feeling the warmth pooling inside of his stomach and‒  
  
“Oh” is all he says, still looking right into Minghao’s eyes.  
  
He isn’t really sure what exactly he meant by that, or rather what he’s trying to refer to, but Mingyu’s words from that one night suddenly echo at the back of his head. The other doesn’t answer, he looks like he’s sighing (Vernon can’t hear the sigh though) and smiles once again before turning to Soonyoung.  
  
Vernon doesn’t know what gets to him, he just hopes he can still blame it on the alcohol if he gets called out for his actions, and he quickly reaches out for Minghao’s wrist. Minghao looks surprised when he glances at him, but a hint of _something_ in his eyes makes Vernon feel convinced he understands exactly what’s going on.  
  
He feels warmth, a kind of warmth he doesn’t recall feeling before. Not even when he got that terrible flu two years ago when the fever wouldn’t go away, and he would keep talking weird shit and it would freak Mingyu out.  
  
His hands have always been a pain in the ass. And this whole night he’s just assumed he couldn’t feel how cold they were because of how incredibly cold they were, but it might’ve just been the opposite. He clenches his free hand, trying to establish what’s happening, but he can’t tell.  
  
Vernon lets go of Minghao’s hand, slowly, mouth agape, and just stands there, frozen. He thinks he might be getting dizzy, too.  
  
He only starts moving again when Mingyu and Wonwoo come to get them, because apparently it’s very late already and if they were to stay any longer, Uber prices would soar definitely too high for a bunch of college students, even if they split it.  
  
Both Vernon and Minghao snap out of the weird state they were in just a moment ago, and when Vernon turns away from him almost comically quickly, he misses the small but very warm smile Minghao sends in his direction.  
  
They all meet up in front of the main entrance and once they make sure everyone’s present, they start moving in the direction of the main road. Vernon thinks he’s calmed down (mostly), and that he can now breathe normally (mostly), the refreshing night air helping him reason.  
  
It’s not much of a help though, once he can feel someone walk right beside him, because he knows who it _could_ be, and then he hears Minghao’s voice.  
  
“Are you okay?” He asks. He doesn’t look away, but he’s slouching a bit and he pushes his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket.  
  
“Totally, dude,” Vernon answers right away and he hopes it doesn’t sound as awkward as he feels it does. “Why are you asking?”  
  
“You’re very pale,” he says and shrugs. “I was getting worried you caught that one from me.” He smiles, but Vernon can _feel_ that’s not it.  
  
“Actually,” Vernon says after a few seconds of silence, “I felt kind of dizzy, and my hands felt worryingly warm back there,” he finishes, trying to convince himself that’s exactly what’s happening. He’s coming down with something.  
  
“Want me to check your forehead?” Minghao asks, and it looks like both of them are equally surprised by it.  
  
Vernon just nods and braces himself.  
  
And when Minghao stops walking, he does the same. He thinks he’s holding his breath again and if this is something that’s going to happen more often, he’s not going to live for a long time. Minghao reaches out, slowly, as if he was afraid Vernon could run away, gently brushes his hair out of the way, and finally places his hand on Vernon’s forehead.  
  
The world must have stopped breathing together with Vernon.  
  
He’s almost sure Minghao isn’t breathing either, the tips of his ears turning red.  
  
The silence lasts for way too long, and both of them know it very well. Vernon’s also convinced that both of them understand what’s happened. Or what’s happening at that exact moment, when he feels a wave of heat stronger than ever (ever meaning since he’s first met Minghao, but it’s just a detail not really worth mentioning, according to him). _It’s happening_ is all that’s going through Vernon’s mind. _It’s happening_ , yet he has no idea how to react when he feels like the warmth is slowly making him melt under Minghao’s touch after years of shivers and too many layers of clothing.  
  
Minghao’s the first one to actually do anything at all, even if it’s not a lot. Vernon notices how the corners of his mouth slowly rise to form a beautifully timid smile. That somehow helps Vernon come back to reality and start feeling that his limbs are parts of his body again. Minghao then moves his hand, the touch being extremely cautious and delicate, giving Vernon hope that he’s not the only lost and scared one. After what was probably a few seconds, but felt like days, Minghao’s hand is gently cupping Vernon’s cheek and Vernon feels embarrassed for blushing like a complete idiot.  
  
Vernon’s still not sure what he’s doing when he reaches his hand out, to touch Minghao’s on his cheek, his (trembling) fingers cautiously sliding in between Minghao’s own. The boy’s eyes widen at the action, and maybe it’s just Vernon’s hopeful thinking, but he feels Minghao’s hand shake a little, when he lifts it off of Vernon’s face and lets their fingers intertwine between them.  
  
“We should catch up with the others,” Vernon says finally, trying to make the atmosphere less weird, but his voice cracks and he feels like fleeing. He’s also trying to make his point as the rest of their friends are already good 100 meters ahead of them. Minghao smiles again, this time it’s more of an amused smile than the shy one which makes his stomach feel weird, and Vernon thinks that maybe he might’ve just succeeded.  
  
“I don’t think you have fever,” Minghao says simply. This makes both of them chuckle quietly and step closer to each other when they speed up their pace and gently squeeze their connected hands.  


**Author's Note:**

> If you made it til the end, thank you for your time! I had a lot of fun with those two, they've really become one of my favourite pairings. Also, this fic was kinda born in pain so it's like a child to me now.  
> Special thanks to Lee, who first introduced me to this new mingsol world and then helped with controlling my English so that it somehow works. You're honestly the best.  
> The idea for this fic originated from two things: my surprisingly strong will to write a soulmate au and my most recent obsession over the role of temperature in literature lol  
> I didn't specify where the action takes place, and that's because I didn't want to struggle with korean honorifics and also apparently there's no Uber in Seoul.  
> The title is a verse from this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGxObzFVJkQ) translation of Our dawn is hotter than day. I have no idea if it's correct, but I liked the line and it fits. __


End file.
